Crane Wilbur was a prolific American actor, screenwriter, and director whose career spanned over six decades from the silent film era to the 1960s. He began as a stage and silent film star, notably in the pioneering serial The Perils of Pauline. Later in his career, Wilbur became renowned for his work as a screenwriter, specializing in crime dramas and horror films. His notable writing credits include the classic horror film House of Wax and several other influential genre pictures that defined the era.